The draper's shop was an important feature of most towns and villages in England and the main draper's shop in Derby for many years was a man named Thomas Hackett (called “Tommy“ in a contemporary letter published in the Derby Ram). What relation, if any, he had to John Hackett is not known. His will which is a detailed document and shows that he owned considerable wealth does not give any indication that he was related. If any relationship existed it must have been quite distant.

A requirement of the Apprentice System in the nineteenth century was for employers to supply details of the apprentices they were employing. An apprentice return for 1816 showed several apprentices were employed by John Hackett and sons at Tansley Mill. This is the earliest reference to his involvement at Tansley and from then on his activities can be traced from many newspaper and directory entries.

In 1825 he dissolved a partnership with Thomas Weston in which they were engaged in brace manufacture. Men’s braces were only one of the many uses for which tapes and "narrow fabrics" were used. The text of the official announcement of the dissolution of the partnership as published in the Derby and General Advertiser for February 25th 1825 was as follows: NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN That the partnership lately existing between John Hackett of Derby and Thomas Weston of Holymooorside near Chesterfield both in the county of Derbyshire Brace Manufacturers was dissolved by mutual consent on 16th February 1825. All debts due to or from the said partnership will be received or paid by the said John Hackett. Witness John Hackett George Pearson Thomas Weston

From this it is clear that John was the one who instigated the break up as he undertook to pay the outstanding debts and receive the money owing to the business.

The break-up of this partnership was followed by his acquisition of what later became known as "Manloves Cotton Mill". The Derby Miscellany for February 1962 page 335 records that John obtained this mill in 1826. It is recorded as being on the western side of the river Hipper near the bridge on the road from Holymoorside to Walton.

The mill was described in a sales notice as stone-built, three stories high, and capable of employing over 100 hands. It was driven by an overshot waterwheel 24 feet in diameter. John installed a new wheel, shafts and gearings. Attached to the mill was a dwelling-house and extensive garden. It was advertised for sale in 1833 and again in 1834 as being "in a populous neighbourhood where any number of hands can be had at very moderate wages". Further advantages were "a good bridle road to Chesterfield, and a cart road to the coal pits without a toll-bar, and where coals are good in quality and very moderate price". Although the building had been demolished, the mill pond and dam still existed in 1962.

The Register of Electors for 1832 shows him occupying land in Talbot Street at a rental of £50 per annum. Pigot's Directory for 1835 lists the tape works in Haarlem Street as belonging to Bagley & Co while John Hackett is listed under number 27 Talbot Street. Robert Riley & Co were at number 28 Talbot Street.

By 1837 he is shown in the Derby Register of Electors as in business as a draper at 33 Talbot Street. The Electoral Register showed him at 33 Talbot Street each year from 1837 to 1856. Directory entries are under John Hackett & Son, with similar entries under Tansley in 1850.

The 1841 census shows him at Talbot Street with Selina Clementson age 20, a tape worker, and Elizabeth Riley, 17, probably his niece being the daughter of his wife’s sister Hannah.

Slater's Directory for 1850 named him as John Hackett & Son tape and smallware manufacturers and wholesale haberdashers at 27 Talbot Street Kensington and 38 Noble Street London, with a manufactory at Tansley Mills near Matlock. The acquisition of a sales outlet in London clearly indicates that the business was doing well.

Addresses in Derby shown in directories for 1843 and 1848 are 27 and 33 Talbot street where he had his businesses.

The 1851 census shows him at Old Road, Brampton, near Chesterfield. He possibly moved there to be closer to his daughter Elizabeth who had married Henry Kent in 1844. He had various business ventures together with the Kents. The entry reads John HACKETT, head Married, 72 Needle maker, wire drawer etc. b. Adbaston, Staffs Jemima NICKLINSON Sevant, Unmarried 41, House servant, b. Wilson, Leics Elizabeth BROOKS, Visitor, Married, 45 b. Ashover, Derbys

The 1851 census for 33 Talbot Street lists his wife as follows Elizabeth HACKETT, head, married, 74, b Dyseworth, Leics, Elizabeth RILEY, niece, unmarried, 27, b Derby

The entry for John is the first reference which did not mention his original trade of tape maker and the entry for his wife, Elizabeth indicates that they were separated , at least on this particular day.

Note that in 1841 John was living at this address and his wife was not.

A note in the Derby Miscellany 1957 indicates that John owned the Millhouse Mill at Wirksworth (probably built by Sir Richard Arkwright). As this was not in his will he had probably sold it before 1857.

On his death in 1858 the Talbot Street entries change to Thomas & Son

It is difficult to say which property was inherited from his father and which was acquired by John as he built up the business, however it is clear that he was a successful businessman and he expanded and developed the various parts of the organisation. The Patents which he took out indicate that he took a practical interest in the technical details of the tape and fabric manufacture.

Elizabeth, his wife, was estranged or had died before him as she is not mentioned in his will.

The Derbyshire Directory of 1857, the year of his death, gave his address as Spencer Street, Chesterfield. This street did not exist when the 1851 census was taken.

Jemima Nicklinson benefited from his will with a legacy of £300 and shares in the London and Birmingham Railway Hotel and the Liverpool Royal Insurance Co. She is recorded as having been born in Breedon on the Hill, Leicestershire in 1809, she never married. In partnership with his son Thomas he carried out a wholesale hosiery and haberdashery business in Great Charlotte Street at Liverpool. In his will he divided this business equally between Thomas and Elizabeth his youngest child who had married Henry Kent.

At Clarence Street in Leicester he owned, under a £800 mortgage, a manufacturing mill powered by a steam engine producing snuff and tobacco. The 1849 Directory for Leicester lists him as a Snuff and Tobacco Manufacturer at Clarence Street. He was probably active there from 1843 until his death. He bequeathed this to his youngest child Elizabeth.

In the parish of Brampton near Chesterfield, Derbyshire he owned houses, trade buildings and other real estate. According to his will these contained steam engines, a large clock, a large bell, machinery, stock-in-trade and other effects. Part of this business was carried out in partnership with John Kent (probably a needle and wire manufactory at Spa Bank as listed under John Kent's name in the Derbyshire Directory for 1857) and part in partnership with Henry Kent. The 1857 Derby Directory lists Hackett and Kent as elastic fabric manufacturers of Brampton Moor. Henry Kent lived with his wife, Elizabeth and their 5 children at Clarence Street, Leicester in 1851.

Like the Clarence Street mill, the Brampton business was left in his will to Elizabeth Kent and therefore left the control of the Hackett family.

Part of his success as a smallware manufacturer was clearly due to his inventive skills and he successfully patented four inventions with the registered patent numbers 1541, 1596, 1749, 1797. All these were patented in 1855 at the age of 74 but he had probably been producing the products involved for a number of years prior to this.

Patent no 1541 described a new method of joining elastic and rubber web, and patent no. 1596 was a way of covering elastic thread with sewing silk and other materials, Both these patents were left to Elizabeth Kent. They were probably developed at Brampton with Henry Kent. (does this mean that he invented knicker elastic?)

Patent 1749 concerned improvements in the manufacture of garments or of the parts of garments or of appendages or appliances to garments. Patent 1797 concerned the manufacture of new and improved fabrics of cotton and linen and of cotton and linen combined. These were probably developed at the Talbot street premises and were left in his will to Thomas, the youngest of three sons who by this time had moved to Tansley.

In 1857 all four of these patents lapsed because stamp duty of £60 was not paid within three years of the original patent date. In addition to the patents which he left in his will four other patents for new types of fabrics were recorded in the Patents Journal as letters patent which passed the Great Seal on the 14th August 1855. These were:

359 "a new and improved fabric or fabrics for the manufacture of umbrellas, parasols and other purposes"

360 "An improved leather cloth and employment for various purposes"

385 “Employment of a new and improved fabric or fabrics for the manufacturing either wholly or partially of garments or parts of garments or for appendages to garments for the purposes of wearing apparel for the use of men, women and children."

509 "Employment of a new or improved fabric or fabrics for the manufacture of .rick covers and for other useful articles."

These patents are not recorded as having lapsed. John died in 1857 . The 1857 Chesterfield Directory lists him as living at a house in Spencer Street. This street is not listed in the 1851 census and his house probably predated all the other houses in that street. The present Wellington Hotel in Spencer Street may be his house as it appears to be older than the adjacent terraced houses. He was not buried in the family grave at Tansley and, unless he was cremated, his grave is probably at Chesterfield.

His will shows that he was survived by only two of his children. The value of his estate was £6000.